An online degree can cost as little as $3,000 – or over $100,000. More than 12,000 online degrees and certificates – and no two charge the same tuition. Our affordability rankings reveal who offers the best – and worst – buys in online degrees.
Enrolled in an online degree program? Alumni of an online college? Visit your college or degree program in our directory and "grade" – rate and rank – its performance. Your opinion will help others "get educated" about the real-life ratings of thousands of online college programs.
Not all online colleges rate the same in the eyes of the public or potential employers. How does the public rate your online degree? Do they rank it high – or rate it low? Help rate and rank all the choices. Your opinion will help others "get educated" about the real-life reputation of thousands of online colleges.
"Anybody who's thinking of enrolling in an online degree ... take a good look at GetEducated.com . Go ... get a free download of a detailed guide ."
Searching for an Online MBA?: "Several websites can help .. first, GetEducated.com offers free rankings of distance-learning MBA programs."
"Beware diploma mills... Go to GetEducated.com and ask the Diploma Mill Police."
"For a distance MBA you can pay from $6,000 to $120,000. To get the most bang for your buck ... check out GetEducated.com"
GetEducated.com – "a great source for weeding out phonies" (among online colleges).
"Thanks much for your wonderful site! I've recommended it to my students and entered a program I found at GetEducated.com." --Charles Balch, MBA, Ph.D. --Professor, Arizona Western College
By Vicky Phillips, Chief Education Analyst | October 13, 2009
Question:
I’m searching for an online bachelor’s in business or management. But no two online colleges charge the same amount for this degree. One college can charge $50,000 more for what looks like the very same online degree to me. Is a more expensive online degree better than a cheaper one?
—Rayette, Boise, Idaho Answer:
There is no relationship between cost and quality in online education. Paying more won’t get you “more” of an education, nor will it necessarily buy you an academically better degree. The cost—and therefore affordability—of any online degree is a function of four factors. It may surprise you to learn that none of these is correlated with educational quality.
1): Is your online college publicly funded or privately funded?
Public schools charge less because they are subsidized by your tax dollars. When you attend any public college you are attending an institution you have already helped support through your federal and state tax dollars.
Because public colleges receive subsidies through tax funds they do not need to charge you, the student, as much in tuition and fees. Publicly funded residential colleges have always cost significantly less than their private counterparts. Similarly, online colleges that are publicly funded are much more affordable than private online colleges.
GetEducated.com’s national surveys of online college affordability consistently show that the top-ranked least expensive online degrees across all subject areas, ranging from business to healthcare, come from publicly funded or state universities.
2): Where is your online university headquartered?
It costs less to live in certain regions of the country. For example, it is much less expensive to live in Wyoming than it is to live in Massachusetts. No surprise, then, that according to GetEducated.com’s National Survey of Online Bachelors in Business, the University of Wyoming offers a business bachelor’s online for about $16,000. On the other hand, the University of Massachusetts, headquartered in high-cost New England, charges almost $58,000.
3) Is your distance learning program a for-profit or a non-profit?
Traditionally, all colleges operated as non-profit agencies. But every year more online colleges are being organized as for-profit businesses. The University of Phoenix Online, operated by the Apollo Group, is the largest online college in the United States. It is also a for-profit company.
Companies that are chartered on a for-profit basis charge more—often two to three times more—for their services.
4) Who accredits your online college?
On average, colleges that are nationally accredited rather than regionally accredited cost less. One reason is because national accreditation is not as widely accepted or as prestigious as regional accreditation.
There is No Relationship Between Cost & Quality in Online Degrees
Paying less for your degree doesn’t mean you will receive less of an education. Compare all your online degree options before you enroll. Your least expensive option will likely come from a local, non-profit, public university.
You can expect to pay two to three times more to attend a private, for-profit college online, but there is no evidence or guarantee that you will receive an academically better online education in exchange.
I’m looking for an online MBA. I’ve found several that fit my budget but none are accredited by the AACSB. What is the AACSB? Do I really need a distance MBA degree that is accredited by them?
—Roberta, Gary, IN
The AACSB is the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International. It is considered the gold standard of business school accreditation. But not every student needs an AACSB-accredited MBA...
I was laid off from my job as a real estate agent and want to be a high school math teacher, but my bachelor’s degree is in psychology. Do I need a new degree in education? Will an online bachelor’s in education qualify me to become a licensed teacher?
—Willis, Houston, Texas
If you didn’t earn a bachelor’s degree in education years ago and you now want to teach in the public schools, don’t fret. Every state maintains what are termed “alternative teacher certification” programs...
Online MBA -- At Excelsior College, you may be half way to earning your MBA because you may be able apply up to 24 graduate-level credits you’ve already earned toward this degree. Excelsior College’s high quality academics, online learning services, and supportive academic advisement allow you to earn an MBA degree that equips you with essential knowledge – and required credentials – to move ahead in your career. And because the program is designed specifically for adults with solid business or work experience, no GMAT is required.
Athabasca University, one of the world’s foremost and fastest growing online and distance education specialists, has developed an international reputation for excellence and innovation its flexible and affordable graduate programs. Graduate programs include Master of Arts – Integrated Studies, Master of Business Administration, Master of Counselling, Master of Distance Education, Master of Health Studies, Master of Nursing, Master of Science – Information Systems and graduate certificates and diplomas in counselling, nursing, distance education, management and project management.
For active-duty military, reservists, veterans, and military families.
More than half of military students use online education. What do you need to know to find schools that best fit your needs? How can you find the best financial aid and scholarship package at your online school? Answers are here.
The field of online education is growing and so is the need for teachers who can teach online. Check out our regularly updated list of online job opportunities, post your job availability, and visit our Online Resource Center, with tips, advice and free downloads for online educators.
Facts from GetEducated's National Survey of Online MBAs. Who offers the cheapest online MBA? Do you need an AACSB-accredited distance MBA? Online MBA rankings and ratings. Everything you need to know to compare 390 accredited online MBAs from 168 online business schools.
I’m looking for an online MBA. I’ve found several that fit my budget but none are accredited by the AACSB. What is the AACSB? Do I really need a distance MBA degree that is accredited by them?
—Roberta, Gary, IN 
The AACSB is the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International. It is considered the gold standard of business school accreditation. But not every student needs an AACSB-accredited MBA... 
